Broken Promises
by MandiPanda21
Summary: TheRox Fic. That's all I'm saying.


The 5'6, blonde hair, brown eyed boy stood outside his neighbor's home, waiting for her to come out and walk to school with him. With the sun shinning bright and not a cloud in sight, the day was starting off much to his enjoyment.  
  
'It feels so good to be alive today,' he thought as he leaned up against the white, wooden picket fence for support and took a bite out of his apple.  
  
He knew that they were running late again, but he didn't mind. He always liked to take his time and walk to school, especially whenever she came along.  
  
"Sorry, Fox," she said as her chestnut tresses bounced up and down on her shoulders with every step she took towards him. "Dad, was running late for work and he wasn't in a good mood, so I let him go before me. You know how he gets when he's in one of his bad moods," she said quickly as she walked straight past him, not looking him in the eyes.  
  
"Hold up there," he said as he hopped over the fence and grabbed her wrists lightly to keep her from going on. He knew she was hiding something from him. She suddenly let out a cry of pain and turned the other way so he wouldn't see the tears that were now streaming down her red cheeks. "I'm sorry, T. I didn't realize that I hurt you," he said as a look of guilt appeared now on his once happy, smiling face. Fox turned around and kept walking before her.  
  
Fox turned his head slightly as he felt her gentle touch upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Fox. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's just that I forgot to tell you that I had a little accident earlier. I should have told you, so you would have known to be more gentle with me, but I forgot. I'm really sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry. It was my fault. I saw that something was wrong and instead of being a gentleman, like my mom is always telling me to be, I was a little too rough." As Fox gazed over her wrist he noticed that her accident was more than just a little one. She had several bruises along her right arm and it appeared that she had severely sprained her wrist, if not broke it. "How did this accident occur?" he asked a little concerned. This had been the 3rd accident to occur that week alone.  
  
"Oh it was nothing," she tried to play it off by making it seem better than it really was, but the pain was too much for her and she let out another cry. She saw that look of concern in Fox's eyes as he stared straight at her, almost demanding a better explanation to the truth she was covering. "You want to know the truth?" Fox nodded intently as he gathered her heavy books in his hands, "I fell down the stairs. Miguel was chasing me around. We were playing Tag and I got too close to the stairs and lost my balance."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
She could feel his eyes staring upon her as she concentrated on the walk to school. His eyes always did something to her. Perhaps they made her want to tell the truth, but whatever the case was, she couldn't. "That's all," and after a brief pause she said, "We better hurry or we'll be late for school."  
  
Fox being 16, went to Jefferson High School, while Theresa, 14, remained in her last year of grammar school at Edward's. Everyday Fox would get out of school at 2:30 p.m. and walk over to Edward's to pick Theresa up. On this day, Theresa wasn't on time getting out. Glancing at the watch that his father, who was never around, gave him he saw that it was already after 3 p.m. Theresa usually met him around 3p.m. by the doors that she left from, but today she didn't. Fox went inside and asked Theresa's teacher where she was. She told him to check the office and as Fox looked through the glass on the office door, Fox noticed Theresa sitting in the principal's office crying. Unnoticed, Fox walked out and tried putting things together, but nothing came. It wasn't until 4:30 p.m. that Theresa approached Fox, who had decided to sit and wait for her on the playground.  
  
Fox sat with the sleeves on his white school shirt rolled up to his elbows, as he sat slouched down on a step. He had to put his hand above his eyes and squint one eye just so he could look up at her though the hot, blazing sun. Removing his hand from above his eyes, he threw one final rock and stood facing Theresa intensely.  
  
"What was all that about?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" she said trying to reveal anything as she walked away in the opposite direction.  
  
Fox jumped in front of her, making her come to a complete stop. "I saw you. You were crying in the principal's office. Why?" Fox grew angry with her when she didn't respond. "Come on, T! You know me! Tell me what's going on so I can help you," he said as tears began to fill up his brown eyes.  
  
"I can't!" She cried, "You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Me, of all people not understand? Come on, T, that's crazy. You know you can tell me anything."  
  
"I know," she said as she took a seat on an empty swing. "I know, I can. I wish I could tell you. God, how I wish I could, Fox! But I can't tell you this," she said solemnly.  
  
"Will you ever tell me what it is?" he asked with imploring eyes as he stood before her, holding the chains of the swing, looking deep into her brown eyes.  
  
Removing her hands from the chains, she cupped his face within her hands as she rubbed his face with her thumb, "Maybe someday, Fox. Maybe someday," she repeated.  
  
"Fox, we need to talk, right now," Ivy said as soon as Fox ran through the door and up the stairs.  
  
"Mom, can't it wait? I told Miguel I'd teach him how to throw a football," he argued from his room.  
  
"Fox, down here. Now!"  
  
Fox came down and saw just how serious his mother looked. He had never seen her look that serious since they left Julian a few years earlier. Fox sat across from Ivy and tried to figure out what was wrong from her body language. Ivy was obviously nervous about something. She was pacing the room up and down, every now and then glancing over to see how Fox was doing until she finally spoke, "I'm not sure how you're going to feel about this. I would like you to be happy about it, but I'm not so sure you will be."  
  
"Is it about dad?" he asked staring his mother in the eyes. He knew that when his mom became this way it always had something to do with his father.  
  
"Yes, yes, Fox. It's about your father."  
  
"Well," he said not all that surprised, "what is it?"  
  
"Julian and I have been trying to work things out for the past few months and well...Fox, I'm pregnant."  
  
"What!?" He jumped up and shouted. "You two are the most irresponsible adults I know!"  
  
"Julian and I have decided to try and make things work again," she said calmly. "We want this child to have a real family. I mean, we didn't plan this baby, but I want it to have a real family. Ethan and you didn't get that."  
  
"Why would I? Ethan had a hell of a better childhood than I ever had. He got all the attention when it was just him and me. He was the heir and I was the spare."  
  
"Fox, don't say that," she begged. "Ethan and you were treated the same."  
  
"No, we weren't. Ethan got to live with dad in the mansion, go to great school, while I got to live in this dump with you!" he shouted furiously. "He got all the goodnight kisses while I laid in my bed crying myself to sleep every night, begging God to send me someone who would love me like I loved them. Tell me the truth; do you wish Ethan was here with you and not me?"  
  
"I thought you liked living here? I thought you were glad to have met Theresa and Miguel."  
  
Until that moment Fox had forgotten all about Theresa. He was wrong, he was glad that he had moved there and met Theresa, even though he had to move with Ivy. Meeting Theresa made up for his living with Ivy. Theresa was the only person that Fox felt cared for him. Now he thought that he was going to be leaving her when things were getting really bad. He couldn't abandon her.  
  
"You know I don't wish that, Fox. Don't be silly," she gave a little laugh at the stupidity of the question. She loved Fox, but she always thought that maybe he was a little slow. Test scores had shown that as he was a child, and even now little things he did made her believe that something serious was wrong with him.  
  
"So we're moving back into the mansion?" Fox asked as he felt the world stand still as he awaited the answer to his question. Ivy nodded her head with sympathy for her son who she knew would take this hard. "No! I'm not moving back to Harmony!" He shouted as he ran out of the house over to Theresa's.  
  
Fox didn't bother going to the front or the side door. He didn't want to upset Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald in case he was still in a bad mood. Instead Fox ran to Theresa's window and threw little rocks, hoping she would answer and let him in. Theresa looked out her window and saw that Fox was standing outside crying. Immediately she opened her window, and signaled him to come in. Once inside, Fox paced up and down the floor crying uncontrollably. Theresa tried talking to him and calming him down, but all she could get out of him was, "I won't leave you behind."  
  
"Fox, what's going on?" she asked once she was unable to calm him down. "Fox, you're scaring me," she cried as she hugged him and laid her head upon his shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, T. I'm really sorry. I need some fresh air. Can you go for a walk?" Theresa nodded her head and they escaped out her window to the park.  
  
They walked silently holding on to each other's hand. Fox didn't know how to break the news to her, and Theresa didn't know what to say to get Fox to open up like that. For almost an hour they walked silently hand in hand, not caring about the surroundings, only each other.  
  
"Theresa," Fox said softly as Theresa watched his breath in the cold, crisp, November air.  
  
"Yes, Fox," she said looking at him.  
  
"Theresa, I don't know how to tell you this without breaking your fragile heart."  
  
"Just tell me what it is, Fox. I can handle it as long as I have you to help me get through it," she smiled as she pressed her head against his arm and shivered.  
  
"Are you cold?"  
  
"A bit," she said, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"Here, take my coat."  
  
Theresa placed his coat on and waited for him to continue where he had left off. Fox took a deep breath and ran over what he was going to say in his mind. No matter what though, nothing would prepare him or Theresa for their futures.  
  
"T, my mom's moving back to Harmony. She's going to try and work things out with my father."  
  
"Who are you going to be staying with then?" she asked, not understanding just what this meant.  
  
"Theresa, I'm moving back to Harmony with my mom."  
  
"What!?" she asked in shock as she pulled her hand from his. "You can't leave!" she cried. "You can't leave me here alone!"  
  
"You won't be alone. You'll have you Miguel and your father."  
  
"No!" she cried and Fox wrapped his arms around her protectively. "You can't leave me! What will I do without you?"  
  
"I know, listen to me though. As soon as I can get enough money I'm going to come back and get you. I'm going to come back and get you no matter what, Theresa. I can't live without you in my life. Do you hear me?"  
  
"How long is that going to be?" she asked as Fox wiped away her tears with his fingers. "I can't stay away from you for long. I think I'd just die."  
  
"No, that's not going to happen. I'm going to ask my grandfather for some money and I'll come back for you as soon as I can."  
  
"You promise you are going to come back for me?" she asked as though her life depended on it.  
  
"I promise," he said laying a gentle kiss upon her lips. "Do you promise not to kiss anyone else until I come back?"  
  
"I promise," she said now laying a kiss upon his lips.  
  
That night Theresa didn't return home. She snuck in through Fox's window and slept beside him in his bed like they had done so many times before. This time was different though. Now it had been proven that they both had feelings for each other. Neither slept for the longest time. They stayed up late talking and bringing up old memories until Theresa could keep her eyes open no more. Fox watched Theresa fall asleep. He watched her take every breath, make every move, until he finally fell asleep himself.  
  
"Goodnight, T," he said sleepy as he fought to stay awake to tell her goodnight.  
  
It's daybreak And you are asleep I can hear you breathe now Your breath is deep  
  
Fox woke up with his arms wrapped around the sleeping Theresa. She laid there peacefully, with not a worry in the world. Not wanting to disturb her Fox gently removed his arms from around her as he sat up in bed and gently stroked her hair. He listened carefully to every breath she took, knowing that it would probably be the last time for a while.  
  
He dreaded knowing that within a few hours he'd be on a plan back to Harmony seeing his father's side of the family once more. Most people would be excited to be moving into a big mansion like the Cranes had, but Fox wasn't. Material things like that didn't interest him much.  
  
Fox remembered that his mother had gave him valuable advice once that he never forgot. 'Don't let material things take over your life. Don't let your only goal be to be rich because the finest things in life don't cost a thing. Fox didn't know what she meant when he was younger, but he did now. He found that out when he met Theresa. Everything became clear for him once he met her.  
  
But before I go I look at you one last time I can hear a heartbeat Is it yours or is it mine?  
  
After taking a shower and getting dressed, Fox came back and sat in the chair beside his bed so he could just sit there and watch her sleep. This would probably be the last time he would see her so calm and peacefully for the longest time. He wanted memories like this, not like the ones he knew were waiting ahead for them.  
  
He could hear his heart beating wildly as he watched her. He could even more, feel his heart jumping around inside his chest. Growing more intense with every minute that passed. He knew that with every passing minute, another memory of happy times was being used. He thought that only meant that the worse memories were left to come.  
  
I look at your lips I know how soft they can be Did they know what they wanted The times they kissed me?  
  
Gazing at her soft, delicate, pink lips Fox couldn't help, but wonder if Theresa wasn't ready for that kiss last night. He knew that he had been ready for it for the longest time, but he wondered if perhaps he pressured her into something that she wasn't ready for. He felt like kissing her lips as he watched the top and lower lip lay perfectly together. But because he didn't want to awake her, he stayed in his seat and kept watching her dream away in another land where she didn't have any worries.  
  
And your hands I held in mine Now they're reposing on the pillow Will they ever miss me sometime?  
  
He thought about her hands as she laid asleep. The way her delicate, baby-smooth skin laid in his hand. It fit perfectly as though it was a sign that they were meant to be. Fox knew that he would miss holding her hand. The first time they ever held hands was when they saw a horror movie at the drive in. Theresa had been so scared that she wanted to go home. Fox managed though to keep her there by promising to hold her hand for the rest of the movie. Fox wondered who would do that when he was gone.  
  
I'll remember you You will be there in my heart I'll remember you That is all that I can do And I'll remember  
  
Fox didn't know for certain if Alistair would give him money to go and come back for Theresa. He was scared that he wouldn't. The only reason he said that Alistair would give him the money was not to scare Theresa. He knew something bad could happen to her if she had any reason to doubt that he would be back. Fox thought about all the possibilities that could happen once he left and none of them, but one sounded right. He wished there was some way he could see the future, but he knew that was impossible. Only time would tell their fate, but no matter what happened, Fox would never forget the way Theresa touched his life.  
  
"What time is it?" Theresa asked as she began to awake.  
  
"Ten to noon," he said as he greeted her with a smile.  
  
"Only a few more hours," she said sadly. "Please, tell me this isn't happening, Fox."  
  
"I wish I could," he said as he embraced her in his arms. "Don't worry, I'll be back for you as soon as I can make it back here."  
  
"I know," she sighed, but didn't feel any better knowing that he promised. Theresa was use to so many broken promises starting with her family, the people she should be able to trust no matter what. Fox is all she really has.  
  
If there's something you want to say - say it now.  
Before you walk away - say it now.  
If there's something on your mind,  
there won't be a better time.  
If there's something you need to say - say it now.  
  
Theresa and Fox stood before each other. Theresa was up to Fox's nose as height was concerned, but Fox, trying to be a gentleman stooped to her eye level so they could have one last chance to look deep into each other's eyes. They stood not saying much, only a few words here and there. Sadness took over the whole happy goodbye that they had planned out last night. Theresa had promised not to cry in front of Fox and he the same for her, but that was not working too well. Both had tears brimming in their brown eyes as they hugged each other one last time.  
  
Theresa wanted to tell Fox that she loved him like no one else and Fox the same, but neither knew if it was the right time. Neither had ever been in a situation like this so neither was all that experienced. It was after all, their first real love.  
  
I see something in your eyes. Let it out.  
I wonder what that something is about.  
There's something in the air,  
and in your silent stare, there's a shout.  
If there's something in your heart - let it out.  
  
Fox could tell anything by looking into Theresa's eyes. This day was no different. He knew Theresa had something to say, something that she was secretly screaming inside, dying to tell it to his face, but she did not speak. She stood there on that chilly, November evening watching his mother pack up the last few boxes with the help of Theresa's father. Theresa and Fox knew that they could not say a proper goodbye in front of their parents for fear of what they might say or think, so Fox walked Theresa back into her house and stood across from her in the big empty living room that she hated to be in.  
  
What I'm saying in my silence,  
cannot reach across the distance.  
I really don't know how.  
So - like you - I stand and stare,  
across a room of empty air.  
I just can't find a way to say it now.  
  
Minutes passed and no words were said. They stood standing far apart, not knowing what to say or do. Both trying speaking from the heart, telling each other that they loved them, but that four letter word always tied up their tongue when they least expected.  
  
"I....I....," Theresa tired to say, "I'm going to miss you."  
  
"I....I'm...I'll miss you too, T," Fox said covering up his mistake.  
  
"Well, you better get going. I hear your mom's horn."  
  
"Yeah," he said sadly. As they embraced, Fox said, "I'll never forget you, Theresa. No matter what."  
  
"I'll always remember you too. Please, hurry back soon," she cried as she ran upstairs to her room.  
  
I watch you as you turn to walk away.  
I listen for the words that we can't say.  
Then, as you walk slowly out the door,  
I stand here with my feet glued to the floor. Why can't I find the words to say it now ?  
  
Fox walked to the moving van very slowly. Saying final goodbyes to everything that he associated with while he lives on Butterfly road. Fox remembered asking Theresa one day why she loved the name so much.  
  
'Cause I like to believe that I'm a butterfly. A beautiful butterfly that has to ability to spread my wings from here and fly far, far away.'  
  
Our lives are slowly drifting far apart,  
I feel a whisper flutter from my heart, "It's alright we'll meet again,  
someday, somehow.  
and maybe we'll say then -  
the words we can't say now".  
  
As Fox got into the van and buckled his seatbelt, he saw from the rearview mirror Theresa coming out into the street and standing beside her father. As the van began to drive slowly away, Theresa ran after it the best to her ability until she could do it no more. She was left standing out of breath, waving goodbye to her first love, not even sure if he would ever return.  
  
As Fox stuck his head out the window and waved one last goodbye he mouthed the words, "I love you," as Theresa blew him a kiss before taking that turn that would lead him away from her. Far, far away from her. As he returned inside the car, Fox sighed and promised himself that he would come back no matter what, someday to rescue her from the home she so desperately despised. 


End file.
